The Love Hunter

Chapter 17

 Enter Prince Elias

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There's always a certain kind of buzz sa paligid ng Crystalveil Academy when something big is about to happen. The students could sense it—the subtle shift in the air, the whispers of anticipation passing from one group to another. Today was no different, but I could feel the energy was off the charts.

Narinig ko na ang balita mula pa sa mga dormitory hallways—Prince Elias, the mischievous prince from the neighboring kingdom, was arriving at Crystalveil. Halos lahat ng estudyante, lalo na ang mga babae, ay sobrang excited sa kanyang pagdating. Rumors painted him as both charming and trouble—exactly the kind of person who would stir things up in a place like this.

'Interesting...' I thought, silently amused. Wala akong pake sa mga royalty, pero ang reputation ni Elias bilang prankster caught my attention. I wasn't one to shy away from chaos, especially if it promised to be fun.

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It was during one of my least favorite subjects, *Magical History*, when I first encountered Elias. The professor was droning on and on about the ancient magical wars, and I was struggling to stay awake. 

'Ano ba naman kasi itong klase na 'to, parang lahat na lang ng nasa syllabus, alam ko na.' I was half-tempted to use my psychic abilities just to know kung iniisip ba ni Prof kung paano niya uubusin ang oras sa lecture.

Suddenly, a soft whooshing sound caught my attention. Before I could react, a stack of books behind me toppled over, scattering across the floor with a loud crash.

Lahat ng ulo ay napalingon sa direksyon ko, at pati si Professor, mukhang annoyed. "Miss Lyra, please be more careful."

'Seriously? Ako talaga ang sinisisi?'

I turned around, fully prepared to defend myself, when I saw him. Leaning casually against the doorframe, his arms crossed and a sly smirk on his face, was none other than Prince Elias. His tousled dark blonde hair and piercing blue eyes made him look like he had just stepped out of a painting. Pero sa halip na ang elegance ng isang prinsipe, his expression was full of mischief.

"Oh no, my bad," Elias said with a casual wave, clearly enjoying the chaos he'd caused. "I didn't mean to make the princess of the class look bad."

I raised an eyebrow, assessing him. *Prince Charming*, indeed. But underneath that smile, I saw the glint of trouble in his eyes. This wasn't a simple coincidence. He'd planned this—isa itong prank.

Instead of getting angry, I smirked back. "Wow, how original. Knock over some books, blame someone else. I expected more from a prince."

Elias chuckled, stepping closer, his gaze dancing with amusement. "I aim to impress. But since I see you're not easily flustered, I'll have to up my game."

I narrowed my eyes, intrigued by his challenge. "Good luck. You'll need it."

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Sa sumunod na mga araw, Elias seemed to make it his personal mission to target me with his pranks. Every corner of the academy felt like a potential trap. Minsan, kapag maglalakad ako sa hallway, bigla na lang may magic-fueled puff of air na tatangay sa akin ng kaunti. Other times, I'd open my spellbook to find the pages rearranged, spells out of order, at kung ano-ano pang kakaibang bagay.